The Big Bad Book Blog

As an author, you are always on the lookout for new ways to improve your marketing strategy and grow your platform. One of the best ways to do this is by developing your power team.

What’s a power team? A familiar term among business networking professionals, a power team is comprised of individuals and/or businesses with whom you share common goals or a common client base.

How can it help you as an author? The members of your power team can help you improve your strategy, connect with more readers, identify more opportunities, hone your message, and expand your reach.

Lets look at key members of an author power team and how they help you build your career:

• Publisher: Your publisher is an industry insider. If you have chosen wisely, your publisher should have a track record of producing successful books in your genre and should be able to provide you with tips and insights to help you not only get on bookshelves, but also get in front of readers. Keep your contacts at the publisher in the loop so they are aware of all of your marketing efforts and publicity. This helps them keep your book stocked when and where it needs to be available. They can also give you feedback on publishing best practices.
• Publicist: A publicist helps you develop your marketing strategy and puts you in front of big media—radio, television, print, and online. A publicist also helps you hone your message and clarify your brand so you can reach readers. They have spent years cultivating relationships with media and industry professionals and have access to contacts you may not be able to reach on your own.
• Other Authors in Your Genre: Wait—they’re your competition, right? Not necessarily. If you have differentiated yourself well, your work will stand out when compared to other authors’ work. Each author has something unique to give to the reader, but authors in the same genre share the same audience and are marketing to the same people. If you have been growing your platform and marketing your book, you should already have a following. Pull your efforts together with another author doing the same and you can double the strength of your platform and gain twice the reach. Adding another author increases your reach that much more.
• Bloggers: Bloggers who write about your topic or genre also share marketing time with your audience. They often have an open dialogue with a following that listens to their advice and trusts their recommendations. Develop relationships with bloggers in your category, offer to write guest posts, give free review copies of your book, share links, or come up with cross-promotional activities.
• Industry Gurus: No matter what topic or genre your book covers, there will be some movers and shakers already hustling and bustling about. Cultivate a relationship with these people. They’re connected and know what your readers are looking for. They can get you into events and speaking engagements that will put you directly in front of your target audience. Plus, their opinion holds weight and can carry you deep into the hearts of your audience.

These are the primary members of your power team, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box while choosing members of your team. Each book and genre has special needs and interests that are served by many people. Aligning yourself with those people will help you engage with your audience and, in turn, sell more books.

Remember, just as with your audience, be willing to provide value before you ask for anything in return. You are looking to cultivate relationships here, not just take what you can get. Here are a few key things to remember when building your power team:

1. Be sincerely interested in the other person.
2. Find ways to help them meet their goals.
3. Be willing and able to promote and/or endorse them.
4. Relationships are a series of meaningful interactions. Make time to check in and see how they are doing, without looking for something in return.

Above all, treat them how you would want to be treated. If you are truly interested, considerate, and helpful, they will reciprocate.

Face it. Bad reviews happen. Even the most acclaimed writers get bad reviews. Evaluating a book is a subjective process, and personal preferences won’t always match the book. Unfortunately, too many writers take bad reviews personally and even go to the extremes, engaging in negative banter, slander, and threats. Here are a few tips to help you take those bad reviews with grace.

1. Remember that it’s not a personal affront. The reviewer just didn’t like your book. Do you like everything you read?
2. Take a deep breath. Cool off. Put the review away in a dark place for a few days. Taking time to let the fresh emotions wear off will help you think more rationally and calmly when you look at it again.
3. Look at who the reviewer is. Are they known for giving glowing reviews, or is negativity their forte? It may have nothing to do with you.
4. Look at the review objectively. Are there constructive comments you can use to improve your next project? It could be a learning opportunity.
5. DO NOT under any circumstances send a rebuttal. Just let it go. You may think you are defending yourself, but it only makes you look bad, not the reviewer.
6. DO NOT slander or in any way bad-mouth the reviewer on your social media accounts or through other outlets. Not only does this make you look unprofessional, but you can also set yourself up for legal claims.
7. DO be gracious and poised. Acting professional, taking bad reviews with a grain of salt, and maintaining a positive working relationship with book reviewers will only help you in the long run.

Remember, as an author you have put yourself out there for public scrutiny. Bad reviews show that people are reading your book and that you have drummed up enough interest to warrant a review. Also, they provide balance. An article from iMedia Connection, shows that too many good reviews can become fluff, and a bit unbelievable. Bad reviews from valid third parties let the reader know that reviews of your book are authentic. Also, the majority of the time, the number of bad reviews are small compared to good reviews. Plus, all reviews, good and bad, help by prequalifying book buyers and weeding out those who may not be a good fit for your topic.

All in all, take bad reviews with a grain of salt. They don’t spell doom, and sometimes can even help. By taking the high road and maintaining your composure in the face of bad reviews, you’ll come out on top in the end.

Not all authors are natural speakers, but it is becoming more and more necessary for authors to develop their speaking skills. Presentations, appearances, interviews, and other speaking engagements are an increasing part of how authors build and connect with their platforms. To make the most of those opportunities, you—the author—need to develop your speaking skills.

No one is born a stellar speaker. It takes time and practice to become skilled enough to not only deliver a presentation but also handle the questions and unexpected circumstances that come up in public appearances. Though in no way a comprehensive guide to public speaking, the following tips will help you get started on your way to becoming a better speaker:

Know your audience: Before every speaking engagement, take the time to learn about your audience. Who are they? What do they do for living? What is their experience with your topic? What do they want to learn or hope to gain from your presentation? Answering those questions will help you develop a targeted presentation that will have a greater impact than a cookie-cutter template speech.

It’s not about you: Yes, you likely got the speaking engagement because you are an important person in some respects, but no one goes to a workshop or luncheon just to hear how great some stranger is. They want information, to be entertained, or to somehow improve their lives. Your presentation should provide value to the audience, not just promote yourself.

Practice, practice, and then practice some more: You can almost never be too prepared for a presentation. Develop your materials ahead of time and practice your delivery. Time yourself, see how long it takes for you to get through the material uninterrupted, and then allow time for questions and banter from the audience. Film yourself if possible, and look for nervous tics, lengthy pauses, or other distracting habits you may not notice while you are talking.

Make a checklist: You don’t want to show up to your presentation without important handouts, computer files, or—in the worst case—your speech itself. Make a checklist of all the items you need for your presentation and mark everything off as you load your vehicle so you don’t miss anything.

Have a way for them to find you: The point of public speaking is to connect with potential readers and clients. Don’t show up empty-handed. Have business cards with your contact and book buying info (e.g. website) with you. If you are able, have copies on hand for back-of-room sales. Just don’t turn your speech into a sales pitch. If you provide value, they will buy—and they will also want to seek you out for other information and additional speaking engagements.

Be on time: Plan on showing up at least twenty minutes early. This way you can familiarize yourself with the space (if you haven’t done so already) and make sure everything is in working order and set up the way you need it to be. Plus, it’s a sign of respect for the presenter to be on time. If you are late, you disrupt the whole schedule, which is not good for your reputation.

Meet with your audience beforehand: Don’t hideout backstage while people are filing in to their seats. Take that time to shake hands and learn a few names as people are walking in the door. This helps you break the ice and warm up the audience. Plus, it helps cut your own nervous energy, since you will have established a rapport with the audience.

Also, don’t forget to smile, be gracious, and by all means say thank you! You are not the only speaker available on your topic (unless it’s a super niche topic). Don’t burn bridges or do anything that could hurt your reputation. After your presentation, follow up with the organizers and any contacts you met while there. Cultivate those relationships and ask for feedback. Each time, you’ll get great tips and insights as to what worked and what didn’t so you can continue to improve as a speaker.

For more resources on public speaking check out:

National Speakers Association

Toastmasters International

The Exceptional Presenter

Boring To Bravo

Everyone likes to have a face to go with the name, but as an author, you don’t have that many opportunities to get face to face with your readers. Luckily, the advent of new media lets you give readers a face to put with the name. Not only can you give them a face, but you can also give them a taste of a live and in-person experience, a teaser of what one could expect should they attend one of your events or book you for an interview.

New media has opened up several new avenues for authors, giving them the opportunity to connect with potential readers and positioning themselves as experts in a more personal and engaging manner. One of the most popular venues is Youtube. Not only can you post and share videos, but you can also create your own channel, allowing you to share a series of videos on a related topic in an entertaining and informational way.

To really make the most of Youtube, your videos need to be:

1. Short: We live in a world of short attention spans. Keep your message brief in order to keep them engaged.
2. Informational: Your posts should provide value or information to the viewer. There are more than enough renditions of Lady Gaga on YouTube and plenty of people filming their pets looking “oh so adorable.” Stand out from the crowd by giving people something they can really use.
3. Entertaining: Yes, you are competing with cute pets and dancing babies, so in addition to being informative you need to be entertaining. This doesn’t mean being gimmicky, it just means delivering your information in a lively and personal manner.
4. Quality: In order to be worth anything it has to be easy to see. Make sure you use good equipment, edit if necessary, and avoid posting files that are too grainy or that require constant buffering.
5. Relevant: Above all, the video needs to be relevant to your platform. In order for your platform to be effective, its needs to be consistent. Don’t go off topic unless you plan on changing the direction of your platform.

Here is an example of a well-developed video:

Notice how the video is short, informational, entertaining, good quality, and relevant to the author’s topic.  By presenting this specific topic in this manner, he has further positioned himself as an expert and demonstrated his ability to speak, which will help him book more appearances and interviews. The author also has other videos listed on Youtube. All of them consistently meet all five of the requirements above and help build his platform.

You don’t need a film degree or a large presentation to start making use of this social media tool. You can start by taking a concept from your platform and breaking it down into simple parts that you can deliver as a series. Post them on your social media and your website, and make sure to list your contact information at the end of every one of your videos. This will all help drive traffic to all of your social media outlets and help you grow as an author and position yourself as an expert.

You’ve probably seen them: those interviews where there is no energy and the guest is as placid as the polar ice cap. Or worse: the guest is talkative—too talkative—and  runs over the host with wanton disregard. Guests like these are rarely invited back. The key to becoming a media darling and keeping the publicity coming is to be a great interviewee. Here are a few tips to help you do just that:

• Keep it short and sweet: Whether your appearance is in print, radio, television, or otherwise, the publication or broadcast program will have a limited amount of space and airtime allotted for each item. Be respectful and keep your answers brief.
• Develop your talking points: Though questions may vary from interview to interview, there will be some basic questions asked over and over again (e.g., what is your book about, why did you start writing, what advice do you have for writers, etc.). So, develop a few key talking points that you can easily integrate into every interview. Also, customize a few for each venue. This means doing your research before you show up to the interview.
• Mention your book often!: The point of publicity is to get your name and the name of your book out there. Mention your book, website, and contact information often. Here is a short video demonstrating how to easily work that information in to the conversation.
• Dress and act professionally: The majority of a person’s impression of you is formulated before you even open your mouth. To make the best first impression, dress like you care about the interview. If it’s an online or phone interview, make sure your website and social media are professional and clean; be on time and courteous; and don’t tie up the long-distance line any longer than necessary.
• Tempo: Speak quickly enough to finish your talking point, but don’t speak so fast that no one can understand you. Take deep breaths, wait for the host to complete his or her question before answering, and actively listen to yourself so you can catch any acceleration in pace.
• Be gracious: Especially if you are a first-time author, don’t continually correct the host or editor, don’t constantly nag, and by all means say thank you!

Being polite, brief, and professional will take you far with the media. And remember to prepare beforehand so you can work in all of your talking points and sell more books!